Of Beachhouses and Islands
by olimakiella
Summary: Sequel to 'Of Bookstores and Stalkers' -- It's one year since Harry finally won Draco over. Now it's his birthday... Just what do you get a man who has everything?


Of Beach-houses and Islands  
Author: **olimakiella**  
Rating: Light R  
Pairing: H/D  
Words: 3, 017  
Warnings: Please observe the ratings and do not read if you are not old enough in your country to read it. Fluff  
Disclaimer: this story is based on characters and situations created and owned by JK Rowling, various publishers including but not limited to Bloomsbury boos, Scholastic Books and Raincoast Books, and Warner Bros., Inc. No money is being made and no copyright or trademark infringement in intended.  
Author Notes: this gift!fic is dedicated to **bryoneybrynn** who's birthday was on the 27th May, 2009.

---

Draco turned over sleepily and stretched lazily in bed. He blinked slowly and stared at the ceiling for a few minutes before he began to smile. It was his birthday today. He had the day off, as Brian, who of course gave him the day _not_ because it was his birthday but because _Harry_ had asked him to, specifically told him not to come near the bookstore today. Therefore, there was nothing in his schedule except laziness and the consistent acceptance of fawning and worship. Turning over, he planned to kick off the celebration in style but paused when he realized his boyfriend wasn't present. Draco furrowed his eyebrows and sat up leaning on one elbow. He did a circuit of the room with his eyes and then settled back on the left side of the bed. Pulling back the covers, however, his mouth tugged into a slow smile.

A brilliant red rose sat leaning against the blue pillow and tied to it, with a blue satin ribbon, was an envelope.

He slid his finger under the flap of the envelope and pulled out the card inside. Smelling the sweet scent of the rose, he shut his eyes and opened them again to see the familiar handwriting, his smile widening further.

_You're beautiful when you sleep, I couldn't wake you.__  
__I'll be back by twelve, I had some arrangements to finalise__  
__but there's a breakfast downstairs waiting for you. Eat well,__  
__today is so special, you'll have to live it twice. Happy birthday._

_I have a surprise for you._

_Always yours__  
__Harry_

Draco folded the card thoughtfully and put down the flower wondering what that cryptic clue was about. Tapping the edge of the card with his index finger, he bit his lip in thought and looked to the clock. Ten o'clock. He only had two hours to eat and get ready in time before Harry came. Pushing back the downy quilt in excitement, he rushed to the shower.

He was finishing off his French toast when a box full of meringue shells were placed in front of him. He saw the label from Diagon Alley's leading patisserie boutique _Mount Olympus_ and let out an undignified squeal, but he didn't care because _Mount Olympus_ had a frickin' waiting list, for Merlin's sake. The resident Pastry Chef carried with him an aura of audacity matched only by the price of his products. The only reason anyone felt it was worth it was because his delicacies were _divine_. And didn't the bastard know it.

Harry hated going there, but the mere fact that the label also had the words: '_To Draco Malfoy, from the staff of Mount Olympus, Happy birthday_' Draco realised that there really were no lengths this man would go to for him. Draco turned from his stool at the counter and looked at him in wonder.

Harry watched him for a few minutes before he started talking. "Now, I have been given this itinerary." He held up a sheet of parchment filled with a list written in his mother's identifiable scrawl.

"Wow," Draco said.

Harry nodded once. "Hmm, I know. Do you see where _I_ have been placed on your schedule for the day?"

Draco looked down the list and then continued looking down the list. Somewhere around 6 p.m. stood Harry's name. "Erm." He didn't really know what to say to that.

Harry gave him a kiss and shook his head. "Don't worry about it. I see you haven't worked out my clue." He smiled then when he saw the look of recognition spread across Draco's face. Just as Draco opened his mouth to ask him what exactly it meant, Harry kissed him again. "Happy Birthday." That smile and those green eyes. They made Draco weak. "Your day is packed. We have to start from now." Harry tugged on his hand. When he'd hopped off the stool and into Harry's arms he immediately felt the squeeze of apparition.

---

His mother, Draco decided later that afternoon, was evil. Since he'd Apparated with Harry that morning, he hadn't seen him and he couldn't help but miss his steadying presence as he went from one activity to another, from one location to another. He'd never known so many of his family members were still alive. Narcissa, also sensing her son's unwillingness three hours in, didn't let him out of her sight. She narrowed her eyes whenever he excused himself to go to the bathroom, cocked her eyebrow whenever he stated he needed some air and pursed her mouth whenever the frustration of it all caused him to be a tad snappier than usual.

All in all, he was counting the seconds by half past five.

"I must say he has grown since I last saw him as a tike." His great Aunt Beryl from his father's side leaned forward to cup his face. Draco schooled his face and fought not to recoil when the papery texture of her palm stroke his cheek a few times. As soon as it left he felt like washing it. He smiled when he caught the scowl his mother gave him.

"Well," Narcissa said, her face returning to its pleasant demeanour, "he has gotten older."

"Isn't he married?" Beryl asked Narcissa, her voice curling the 'R' as she spoke. Draco just barely refrained from rolling his eyes. Every single family member he'd been to so far asked this question and his mother always answered the same way.

"Not for the lack of trying, I assure you." She took a sip of her tea daintily and Draco resisted the urge to scoff at her. He'd noticed about an hour in that the day was none more than a ploy to get him away from Harry. She'd never liked him and Harry never pretended to like her back. The snipes she took at him and veiled insults were always present but what she hadn't counted on was the fact that Draco had been doing the same all the way through school. Harry was adept at ignoring her words and actions.

Scarily, Harry got on better with Lucius Malfoy.

Draco shook his head and sighed quietly lest he gain the wrath of his mother's glare. He looked down at his cup of tea and felt like squashing it in his hand. Very slightly, he tilted his hand to peer at his watch. He sighed again. Twenty-five to six.

Six o'clock felt like a three hour's wait but when it did arrive, Draco nearly whooped inside. He and his mother had barely crossed over the foyer of the manor when a house elf informed them that Draco had a visitor waiting outside the front doors. Draco heard his mother cluck her tongue and turned in time to see her eyes narrowed at the doors behind them. They then focused on him and Draco returned her stare.

"Good night, Draco. Happy birthday." She then strode off into the house.

Draco let out a heavy sigh and walked to the doors. He hefted one of them open and smiled immediately when he saw Harry there. "Thank Merlin," he said and wrapped his arms around the brunet's waist.

"Wow, I see you missed me?"

Draco pulled away from him and punched him in the shoulder. "Don't you dare ever let her do that to me again!" he said crossly.

Harry laughed and pulled him close. "I'm sorry but I didn't have much to say against her since she is your mother and, by all rights, the one with the initial claim."

Draco frowned. "She said that?"

Harry shrugged. "Doesn't matter. It's now," he began stretching out his right hand to look at the time, "6:06 and I believe from six onwards is _my_ time."

"Is it now," Draco said smiling.

"Yes, and this," he said handing him a small box, "is for you." Draco looked at the small box and frowned. He couldn't help it. All the time spent in the day talking about marriage and babies had him thinking with a one track mind. He was speechless so far.

"Um." He took the box, hands shaking. "You sure you want to do this here?" When all Harry did was shrug, Draco slowly opened it.

There was a smooth shiny pebble inside.

"Um," Draco said again. "A stone."

Harry shook his head. "A Portkey."

Draco furrowed his eyebrows. "To where?"

Harry grinned and pulled him closer, intertwining his fingers with Draco's so that he held the stone too. "Your present. _Portus_,"

The tugging behind his navel made him cringe, just like all Portkeys did, but Harry held him tighter and he felt better than he usually did because of it. When they landed, Draco took in first the feel of the ground, it was soft and gave way when he moved. He looked down and saw…

…sand.

Draco looked up and around, his eyes filling with sight of the ocean and a sunrise, bright orange and yellow. He smiled. _so special, you'll have to live it twice_ "Where are we?" he asked and took a step back. It smelled of the ocean, seaweed and salt. He shut his eyes as the sun rose and got brighter. It felt glorious.

"Somewhere around Samoa." Harry turned him around. "There's more." Draco got his bearings and then looked up. He gasped.

"Holy shit."

It was a house. A two story house with the front and side façades made fully out of glass. Draco could see tasteful furniture decorating various rooms now that there was light from the sun. He stepped forward a few paces looking at it properly where it stood on the small incline. He turned back to Harry. "You bought me a house?"

Harry smiled and nodded. Then he shook his head. "There's more."

"Wh-" Draco couldn't possibly fathom how there could be more. Then he looked around. "You got me a private beach?"

Harry grinned this time giving way to laughter and nodded. Then he shook his head, his hands in his pockets. "There's more."

Draco frowned looking around. His eyes travelled the length of the beach. It wasn't very big but it was perfect enough for privacy. The whole island, he guessed, was probably perfect.

Draco's eyes widened.

"Harry James Potter, tell me - just tell me you didn't buy me a fucking _island_." Draco sat down on the sand. "And so help me if you say there's more I'll bloody pass out."

Harry shrugged. "Happy birthday, Draco."

Draco got up. "Unbelievable." It was all he could say before he'd sealed his lips to Harry's.

Before it got heated, Harry pulled back. "You don't want a tour?"

Draco shook his head. He didn't think he could pay attention to the tour. "Right now, just show me the bedroom."

---

Making love in a room made fifty percent out of glass gave Draco a new meaning to the term exhibitionist. Every time Harry touched him, he left hot trails that no amount of breeze from the windows could cool. Those hands marked him, branding his skin as deep as the first time they'd been together. And he accepted it willingly. Draco's face flushed red with the heat they created and his fingernails raked along Harry's back as they moved in unison to each other. Harry watched him recording every movement of his face, every reaction of Draco's body against his.

It was almost freeing in a way and when he came for the second time, all the pressure and stress from the day ebbed away as he came down from his high.

It was later when he stood staring out at the ocean and drinking a glass of cold water in the kitchen, that he had his epiphany. When he felt arms encircle, him he smiled shutting his eyes wishing he could hold onto the feeling forever.

"Marry me," he said and felt Harry pause.

"Wow, I made that much of an impression, huh?"

He broke free of Harry's arms and turned around circling his own arms around his lover. "I'm serious." He ran a hand over his back, trailing it down to his arse. Harry shivered beneath his touch. "I love you."

"I love you, too." He looked at him carefully. "Does this have something to do with your mother?"

Draco sighed. "Yeah, but not in the way you think." He moved to one of the stools that surrounded the island in the centre of the kitchen. "She dragged me around to all my near deceased family members, none of whom let me go without asking me why I wasn't married yet." He looked down to his glass, at the condensation droplets slowly travelling down and falling onto the tiled floor. "It made me wonder why I wasn't married to you. It's not like we can't and I'm more than ready to settle down with you." He looked up at Harry leaning against the sink. He suddenly got nervous. "Are – are you not-"

"That is so far off mark, I'm not even going to let you finish. You seem to have forgotten how we got together." He smiled when Draco did knowing he remembered exactly how they'd gotten together. Then he sighed. He stared at Draco seriously for a few minutes and Draco got the impression that he wasn't going to get an answer. He put his glass down on the counter and sighed. The kitchen was silent for a long time, the only sound being the waves making their way up on the sand. Draco stared outside for a while, feeling the tears prickle but fighting tooth and nail to keep them back, at least until he got home.

"You sure know how to ruin a surprise, don't you? _Accio_."

Draco's eyes widened once more when yet another small velvet covered box was handed to him.

Harry crossed his arms in mock irritation after he'd accepted it. "I suppose I'll have to put it on, since I'm the one who's saying yes to you. Saves the anxiety of waiting for an answer, though, so that's a plus."

Draco looked from him to the white gold band and back to him several times before he attempted to speak. "You – you were-"

"_Were_ being the operative word here. I don't have to now," he said and grinned wide. "I'm a fiancé, I'm so happy." He looked at Draco and held out his hand. "Well, aren't you going to put it on me?"

Draco suddenly burst out laughing. "You bastard!" he said playfully and shoved Harry back into the sink. He hopped off the stool and stalked him back to the counter. "Don't ever do that again! You had me thinking you were going to say no, you bastard!" he said and rested his head against Harry's shoulder. From where his hand rested against Harry's back, he could feel his heartbeat. Draco shut his eyes.

"You should know by now my answer is never no, Draco. Not when it comes to you," he heard whispered in his ear. He smiled and raised his head. "Never," Harry reassured him and kissed his temple. "Now, my ring, if you please." Harry held out his left hand imperiously and wiggled his ring finger.

Draco laughed and turned back to the island. He took out the ring and looked at it. It suited him perfectly. Smooth and flat with three inlaid diamonds. He smoothed his thumb over it and didn't even feel a ridge between the diamonds and the metal, like they'd been melded together. He liked it. Walking over to Harry he took hold of his hand. Smiling, Harry shook his head and instead took a hold of Draco's stealing the ring from him and slipping it on Draco's ring finger.

"You can go through all the trouble of finding mine yourself, I'm not doing the easy work for you, not after what I went through to get this." Harry kissed his hand and then kissed him. "Your mother had plenty to say, that's for sure."

Draco paused. "Mother knew about this?"

Harry rolled his eyes. "Of course she did, why else would she book up your entire day? She wanted to get as much of you as she could before I took you away for good."

"She agreed?" Draco said incredulous.

"Actually no. Lucky for me, though, she isn't the one with the final say."

Draco thought for only a second before he nearly choked on his gasp. "You _are_ joking? My _father_-"

"Knows well enough what's good for you," Harry said cutting him off. He grinned. "Apparently, what's good for you includes me," he added and held out his arms standing in all his naked glory. "So? You hungry?" Harry asked and set about the kitchen pulling out pots, pans and various food items.

Draco looked at Harry making him dinner, puttering around naked in the kitchen with the ocean behind him as a backdrop. He looked down then to the ring on his finger and couldn't help the elated feeling that rose from the pit of his stomach. The calming view of the waves hitting the sand made him sigh and he got up to help Harry knowing that he'd definitely be frequenting this paradise often.

~fin~


End file.
